Ernest meyers



'(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. MEYERS. SAFE.

No. 508,895. Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

(No Model.) "2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

HMBYERS.

SAFE.

THE NATIONAL LITBOGRAFNING cbMPANv. wnsnmarou, n. o.

UNITE STATES .PATENT OFF CE.

ERNEST MEYERsoF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, AssIeNoR or oNIJ-HALF TO JACOB A. ROSENFIELD, on CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

'SAFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 508,895, dated November 14, 1893.

Application filed'Aprll 27, 1893. SerialNo-472,062. (No model.)

. To dZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST MEYERs, of Norfolk, in the countyof Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safe-Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full,

' clear, and exact description of the invention,

glar proof, and not capable of picking or open ing with seeming intent, and which is conveniently portable and can be employed by business men to carry money or valuable papersto and fro, or can be employed at home to receive valuable papers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved strong box which can be detachably locked in an improved manner to a suitable base, in such a manner that the box can be unlocked fromthe base without unlocking the cover of the box and which is so constructed as to conceal the base when locked thereon, so that the edges of the box wlll rest on the table or other support completely concealing the base and securely looking the box in position.

A further object of the invention is to provlde a portable box with a false bottom having an improved secret lock for securing the same,wherebyasecret compartmentis formed with said box beneath the false bottom.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved strong box having an improved form of lock arranged to lock the box to a base and also look the cover of the box so that the box can be unlocked from the base without opening or unlocking the cover.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in combinations of parts more fully described hereinafter and particularly-pointed out in the claims.

sectional view taken through the lines :r,-' w, 1

Fig. 2, showing the locks in locked position, locking. the lid and the false bottom, and the box to the base. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the lock in unlocked position to permit release of the box from the base and to permit raising of the cover, the key being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a detail View of a portionioffthe main sliding lock. Fig. 6 shows in plan the various tumblers of the lock separated. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view through the tumblers of the lock showing them in their normal locking positions. Fig. 8 is a corresponding cross sectional view showing the key raising the tumblers, and in the act of unlocking the box.

In the drawings, the reference'letter a, indicates a metallic box strongly constructed of suitable material such as sheet steel or the like, and provided with the cover or lid b, preferably arranged to swing upwardly, being hinged at one edge to the top of the box. However I do not wish to limit myself to hinging the lid to the box. A narrow vertical space or compartment extends across the fiat end of the box, and contains the various locking mechanism. The lid is provided with one or more keepers 0, preferably notched as shown which turn down through openings in the top of said space or compartment when the lid is lowered and are engaged therein by the locking bolt hereinafter to be described.

d, indicates a false bottom located a suitable distance above the main bottom of the box, and preferably composed of a sheet or plate of metal atone end'hinged 'on suitable pivots extending into the side of the box so as not to be noticeable from the top of the false bottom when it' is in its normal lowered position, so that the false bottom swings vertically as shown. A suitable coiled spring 6, is preferably secured to the side 'ofthe' main box at a point beneath the falsebottom so as to exert a constant tendency to throw said bottom up and open. The free end of said false bottom 'on' its under side is providedwith a suitable downward projecting keeper f, preferably notched as shown which is normally-engaged by a suitable lock, hereinafter to be'described which holds the false bottom down in its normal locked position, although turned inwardly as shown to form the in-' Wardly'extending horizontal edge,'flange or ledget", clearly'illustrated in Fig.2.

h,indicates a metallic base strongly and firmly secured by suitable Ineansto'a table, counter or any other place where it is desired to'locate'thestrong box-so that it cannot be moved exceptby'the person having'the'proper key. v This base is preferably composed of a sheet'o'f metal ofasize to fit within the de- -pending edges of the sides of the strong box, that'is "the base is approximately of the same dimensions as the bottom of the box.'

This base near its front end is provided with the upwardly'projecting"notched keepers t, adapted to extend up through the openings inthe bottom of the box intothe space in the box containing the lock. The rear edge of the base is slightly raised so as to extend above'the said ledge or horizontal inwardly extending flange formed by'the depending side'edge of the rearside of the box.

base, the box is tilted, that is, its front is slightly raised while said flange is being slipped under the rear elevated edge of the base. When'this is done the frontend of the box is dropped, and the keepers of the base enter'the lock. The lock can then be operated tolockthe box on' the base. is "on the base, the base is completelyconcea'ledibythe depending edges of the'sides of the box so that to all appearances the box is resting on the table corner or other place.

This is a point of advantage in several respects.

3, indicates the double sliding lockin g bolt confined inthe said compartment in thefront end of the box to lock the cover on the box andto lock the box to the base so that they can be independently released. The bolt consists of "a horizontal plate 3, at its ends haviug the vertical arms 4, extending up and down'as shown and at their lower ends having the horizontally extending locking ends 5 extending inthe same direction and adapted to enter the notches of the keeper of the base plate to lock the box on the base plate. The upper ends of said arms 4, are provided with the'l'aterally extending locking ends 6, pro-' It'will thus 'be seen that in placing the box on the.

l/Vhen the box je'cting in the same direction asthe locking ends 5, and arranged to enter t-he'notches in the keepers of the lid and lock the lid. Those looking ends 5 and 6 are so relatively arranged or constructed that when the locking bolt is moved laterally the ends 5 will release thekeepers of the base before the ends 6 have released the keepers of the lid. In the present instance this is accomplished by having the locking ends 5 shorter than the locking ends 6 so that when the bolt is moved to the right the base keepers will be released before the lid keepers have been released. The upper edges of the locking ends 6 are preferably beveled as shown so that the lid can be automatically locked by pressing it down and V throwing the bolt laterally so that it Wlll spring back in 'aloc'king position whenthe keepers of the lid are forced completely in their normal positions when locked.

8, indicates the keyhole in the frontside of the box, and 7 indicates the-pintoreceive thekey. This pinis locatedbeneath the-series of'tumblers 9, 10,11, and "12, at corresponding ends pivot-ally mounted on a pin 13 secured to the rigid partition --closing"off the lock compartment and passing through a slot in the bolt. The free end of the-tumblers are yieldingly held down by springs as usual. These tumblers are providedwithregistering openings or slots 14, in w-hich th'elat eral pin 15 rigid withthe bolt-slides and projects. These tumblers and slots therein are so arranged that when the bolt is in locked position locking both-thelid and the box -10 the base, the said pin 15, is located at :the outer end of said'slot in'the tumbler behind the depending lugs 16 projectingdownfrom the upper end edges of the said "slot 1'4,*so that the tumblershold the locks rigidly in locked position to prevent release thereof until the tumblers are raised to exactlythe proper position by the tongue of the key, and then as the key is-turned-thetonguewill-enter the notch 17, iuthe lower edge-of the'lo'ck and will throw the lock the desired distance. The pin 15 then passes beneath the lug "1'6 and above the lug 19 beneath the-same into the slot at the inner sides of'said lugs. This operation which is accomplished by'a'single turn of the keywill throwthe 'lock'to the right a distance that will release the locking ends 5 from the base keepersbut will not release the ends 6 from thelid keepers. When the locking bolt is in this position it is yieldingly held by the spring 20 forcing the -pin w 15 against the inner sides oredges of thelugs or stops 16 of the tumblers. When'the'locking bolt is inthis position to unlock the lid it is only necessary to insert the key and turn it about one half way around thereby moving the bolt the distance between the stops 16 and the inner ends of the openings in the tumblers which is sufficient to release the locking ends 6, from the lid keepers and permit the lid to be raised while the locking bolt is held by the key. See Fig. 4. When the base.

thekey isreleased or-turned completely around the spring forces the bolt back to locking position respecting the lid but not When the bolt is in the position shown in Fig. 3 and it is desired to unlock the lid the key must be turned completely around once and then half way around and held as just mentioned.

When the partsare in the position shown in Fig. 4 and it is desired to lock the box to the base the box must beplaced on the base as before described and then the key inserted and turned to the left and the tumblers will be raised to the proper point so that when the tongue of the key engages the notch 21 of the bolt and moves the bolt to the left the lug 15'wi1l be carried between the stops 16, 19 of the tumblers to the front ends of the openings in the tumblers thereby moving the locking ends 5,5, of the lock into the notches of the keepers of the base L. By reason of the employment of the peculiar tumblers the lock can be opened only by the particularly constructed key adapted therefor.

A suitable secret lock is provided for the false bottom in the present-instance consisting of the sliding bar 22, located behind the vertical partition forming the lock chamberand provided with a lateral beveled locking lug 27'projecting through an elongated slot in said partition so that the spring 26 will yieldingly'hold the said bar with its locking lug-beneath or in the path of the keeper of the false bottom, the said locking lug being beneath the'false bottom when closed and located in the notch of the keeper thereof.

thereby holding the bottom down until the bar is'moved laterally to release said lug from the keeper when the spring of the false bot-tomwill throw the false bottom up. When the false bottom ispressed down the locking lugwill by reason of its beveled edge and the spring 26 automatically lock the said bottom.

' ments of the parts described without depart ing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

bottom. The said lever can be swung to move saidbar by a straight instrument or piece of metal-inserted through said opening for the lid keeper and-entering said notch. Of course this-mode of opening the false bottom is supposed to be a secret with the owner of the box.

It is evident that various changes might be made in the forms, constructions and arrange- Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the constructions herein set forth but consider myself entitled to all such constructions as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by- Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The flat rigidly secured base having keepers extending out therefrom and having one end elevated substantially. horizontally, in combination with a box having thedepending sides arranged to extend down atthe edges of said .base so as to completely sure, round and conceal the base, the depending edge of one side of the box being turned in to form a hook to. fit beneath saidraised end. of elevated edge of the base as set forth,-the box having openings in its bottom to receive the keepers, and a lock carried by the box to lock the box by means of said keepers to the base as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of the base, the box having a lid, and the single lock in the box for securing the box to the base and for locking the lid, the bolts of said lock for the lid. and the base being arranged one. in advance of the other, respectively, so as to release the box from the base without opening the lid, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the base having keepers, the box having openings in its bottom to receive the keepers, and providedwith the lid having a keeper, and the double slid -ing bolt in the box having the locking ends arranged to lock the box to the base keepers and the lid on the box, the base keeper locking ends being shorter and arranged to release the box fromthe base before the lid is.

sition in relation to the base, substautiallyas described- 5. The combination of the base, the box having the lid, and the double. locking bolt having its locking ends to secure the box to the base shorter than" its locking ends to socure the lid, as and for the purposes set forth. 6. Theconibination of thebase, the box having a lid, and the double lockin g bolt provided with the tumblers having stops ar-' ranged to hold the bolt out of locking relation with the base and a spring yieldingly holding said bolt, while in said position, in looking relation with the lid.

7. A box having a spring actuated false bottom and a concealed spring actuated catch .for holding the said bottom in its normal low- IIO upper edge to receive the lid keeper, a swing? box, and having tumblers arranged to hold the boltat an intermediate point in its movement, locking the lid on the box, but releasing the box from the base as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I al'iix my signaturein preseneeof two witnesses.

ERNEST MEYERS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL WESTHEIMER, LEOPOLD L. STERN. 

